PDI-P, Golkar indecisive who to back in E. Java second poll

By Indra Harsaputra
Source : The Jakarta Post

Despite a unilateral claim of political support by one pair of hopefuls, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) and the Golkar Party have yet to decide who to back in the upcoming second round of the East Java gubernatorial elections.

Candidates supported by both Golkar and PDIP did not get enough votest to enter the second round.

PDIP's deputy chairman, Tjahjo Kumolo, stressed Saturday that his party was still learning about the two pairs of governor hopefuls and the decision would be taken in the last minutes.

"The two pairs have equal opportunities to win the second round but we are still learning about the stronger candidate to whom we will give our political support," he said.

"Party cadres and supporters in the province have become smart and they know whom they would elect to be their leader."

Tjahjo was speaking after a meeting between the House of Representatives' Lapindo mudflow monitoring team and acting governor Setia Purwoko and other local officials.

Leader of the campaign team for Khofifah Indar Parawansa and Mudjiono claimed recently that his camp has won support from PDIP in the second round with hope that the pair would support the presidential candidacy of party's chairmanwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri in the 2009 presidential election.

Meanwhile, the campaign team of Soekarwo and Saifullah Yusuf has also made a similar claim after a meeting with Vice President Jusuf Kalla, also chairman of Golkar.

Khofifah and Mudjiono are nominated by the United Development Party (PPP) while Soekarwo and Saifullah are supported by the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Democratic Party (PD).

PDIP, which nominated Soetjipto and Ridwan in the first round, has more than 3.6 million supporters in Ponorogo, Blitar, Trenggalek, Surabaya and Banyuwangi.

Meanwhile, Golkar, which nominated Soenarso and Ali Maschan Musa, has 3.2 million supporters in Tuban, Bojonegoro and Ngawi.

Separately, chairman of the Golkar faction at the House of Representatives, Priyo Budi Santoso, also said that his party has yet to determine which candidate to get its political support.

He said his party had three options, namely to support Khofifah, support Soekarwo, or to entrust it to party branches in regencies and municipalities.

He admitted that chairman of Indonesia's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Hasyim Muzadi has frequently lobbied Golkar senior members to support the Khofifah-Mudjiono pair.

Both Home Affairs Minister Mardiyanto and the General Election Commission have agreed to hold the second round on Nov. 4 with a budget of Rp 200 billion (US$21.5 million).